Heating system



Dec. 59,1930. A. w. MOULDER HEATING SYSTEM Filed March 25, 192

/7/ BE T 14/ New 0a? mm J n W ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT w. MOULDER, or WARREN, 01110, ASSIGNOR T0 GENER LFIR EXTINGUIsHER COMPANY, orrnovrnnnon, nnonn ISLAND, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE HEATING SYSTEM Application filed March 25, 1937. Serial No. 178,364. 7

This invention relates to improvements in heating systems. More especiallyit relates to means for distributing the flow of a medium, as hot water, through the radiators of such a system equally, or as desired, notwithstanding inequalities in the characteristics and distances of the radiators.

Systems to which the invention applies, such as a hot Water system, ordinarily comprise loop arrangements of piping extending from the discharge outlet of the heater to the various radiators and thence back to the inlet of the heater. In small domestic installationSthe flow of water is usually dependent upon the thermosiphon principle, While in large buildings the circulation is forced by a power pump. In both cases the size of the radiators is determined by the space to be heated, taking into account the various factors affecting loss of heat in the region and then piping is installed of sufiicient size to handle the volume of water that computation determines is necessary for the several radiators. WVhile in theory this should afford a proper performance by each radiator, in practice it is found that certain radiators give off more heat than expected and others fall far determined that this variation in expected performance is not due to the resistance of flow within the radiators themselves but is due almost entirely to the conditions of flow through the pipes. That is, apparently the pipes are delivering a considerable quantity of water to one radiator and very littleto by fixing the proportionate rate of flow through each radiator. This is done without manipulation of the radiator valves, by providing each local supply pipe with suitable flow characteristics, for example, by inserting a suitable frictional resistance to flow, which resistance is great or small according as the computed or observed tendency of the particular radiatoris to take the heating medium at a rate faster or slower than that at which the other radiatorstake it. All radiators having once been so regulated orhandicapped, each soas to make it inharmony with the remainderoffthe, system, the heating effects of the several radiators will remain in thesame proportions to one another as determined at the time of adjustment The system can then operate as a unit with each radiator distributing its allotted part of the whole heating effect; and a variation in the pressure producing the flow will vary the flow in every radiator. y I V i The invention may be applied in various embodiments, two of which are illustrated in the inlet valve, and provides a tortuous pas-.

sage of adjustable length, the length being proportionate to thedegree of friction desired for the particular radiator.

In oneembodiment there is a small vestibular casing intolwhich the feed pipe-delivers. The eXit from this casing into the radiator is through a succession of short small pipes connected in series .by means of reverse elbows. 1 These pipes can be made much smaller than the feed pipewithoutendangering the continuance of I Y length oftravel and the sharp bends through the elbows effectively cut down the velocity another. Attempts to correct such condltlons of flow into the radiator sothat the heating 1 effect of the radiator is sensibly, altered; To vary the frictional resistance lengths of. pipe can be taken out or added, until the desired balance is established between the-particular radiator andothers.

' In the vother embodiment the said vestibule isfa tube or interior isleeve placed in the sectionof feedpipe leading to the radiator valve. Thi sl e maybefl nged d res on the, radiator, valve seat and may itself form a newseat forthat valve. A-plug, {substantially filling this sleeve, except that it been de p li a g o o msa re ve y long passage for the Water alongthgeginner wall of the sleeve, one whose direction of medium. The automatic action of that me dium, seeking always the paths of least resistance leads it to the more remote or difficu'ltly accessible radiators, where the resistance inserted for adjustment is less, or is omitted and the desired uniform distribution of circulation is attained.

It is intended that thepatcnt shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a hot water radiator with a casing or, vestibule having friction piping which is adjustable in length and innumber of reversals, in the inlet course to the radiator;

Figure 2 is an elevation, on large scale and partly in section, of the casing of Figure 1; and j s I c 7 v Figure 3 is an elevatiompartly in section, showing a different embodiment of the invention. 1

Referring to the drawings, the radiator 10 receives water through the feed pipe 12 and returns it through the outlet'pipe 1%. In one of these flow lines, illustrated as being the feed line,'an elongated resistance to flow is introduced. This takes the form of a water tight casing or vestibule 18, into which the feed pipe is connected instead of being connected direct to the radiator-valve .16, as is customary. lVithin the casing is the open entrance of a coil or short pipes containing the return elbows 22 and leading through coupling'2 land nipple 25 to the said valve. ater must pass through the successive sections of pipes and. elbows before reaching theradiator 10. The frictional resistance encountered by the water duringits passage through thesepipes, which are preferably somewhat smaller than the feed pipe, cuts down the velocity of the water and thus reduces the rate of flow through the radiator. The capacity of the water passage is not suiiiciently changed by these arrangements forfriction, to make danger of a blockade or stoppage due to dirt or foreign matter in the water; And no rise in temperature of the water can'cause such an expansion of parts as will interfere with the constancy of flow.

To adj ustthe frictional resistance by reduc'n'g it it is on1y"nece'ssary'to unscrew one or more lengths ofthe short pipes; or to add otherlengths it the resistance is to'be increased. i T w greases In the embodiment of Figure 3 no separate casing is needed, but the portion of the feed pipe immediately below the valve assumes the character of a vestibule to the radiator, introducinga frictional water course. is made byremoving the valve stem 16 and valveclapper l0" and inserting through the valve seat 16 into the feed pipe 12, a sleeve 24 whichhas a terminal out-turned flange 24: which can seat on'the valve seat and itself form a new seat for the valve clapper 16".

"A core 26 fitted within this sleeve and aref- 7 7 erably resting at the bottom against an inturnedflange 2r has one or more deep helical grooves 26" throughout its length, and has a lug .26 at its top end toreceive and position a coiled-spring 28 which is interposed between said plug and the valve to hold the plug and sleeve within the feed pipe seated respectively at 16 and 2%" against the flow of water therethrough. The water must flow along the curved path defined by the groove and the inner surface of the sleeve, whereby it both traverses a longer distance, through a smaller pipe, and is also con'tinuously constrained to be changing ,its'direction, until it enters the valve chamber and-passesthenee into the radiator. Thus an elongated frictionalresistance is provided. The valve 16 can be turned oil at will, or be left open wide, without the radiator receiving an undue proportion of the hot water. And the proportional flow received by all radiators in the system can be predetermined, by making adjustment of the length of frictional resistance at the vestibule of each I claim: l

1. Means for controlling the flow through a radiator having a feed pipe and valve comprising a tube adapted to be inserted through said valve into said pipe; and a core within said tube having a helical groove along its surface; the tube and core being organized to constitute the-path of flow, thereby to increase the frictional resistance-of thisfpart of the pipe: j '2. Means for controlling the flow through a hotwater radiator having a feed pipe and valve, comprisinga vestibular casing and 'meanstherein forming with said casing an elongated and tortuous passage for increasing the frictional resistance to flow, said casingbeing adapted to be insertedtln-ough said valve into said pipe. p Signed. atProvidence, Rhode Island, this 17th day of March, 1927.

' ALBERT V. MOULDER.

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